- Now living in Türkiye, he says more than 50 of his relatives in Gaza have been killed since Oct. 7
- ‘This pain is not easy to describe, but remaining silent is even heavier,’ he says
ISTANBUL
Sweilem Sweilem, a Palestinian director and actor living in Türkiye, is using theater to convey the tragedy unfolding in Gaza to the world.
Known in Türkiye as Palestinian Selim, Sweilem spoke to Anadolu about his artistic journey, the toll the war has taken on his family, and the creation of his play Gaza Among the Ashes, which he wrote and directed.
Born in the West Bank and raised in Palestine, Sweilem, 34, said he was involved in sports during his youth, a period in which he developed discipline and a strong sense of struggle.
His bond with art grew stronger through theater, he added. However, the worsening war conditions and increasing pressure made it impossible for him to continue his artistic work in Palestine.
“I am an actor, I was doing theater in Palestine, but under the shadow of war, there is no space left for art. Cinema, theater, production all become almost impossible,” he said.
In 2014, he moved to Türkiye, where he learned Turkish and continued his artistic training.
“I came to Türkiye to be a source of hope for people in Palestine and to make their voices heard. Türkiye is very precious to me,” he said. “With its Ottoman heritage and its stance, it has always been the banner of the Islamic world for us.”
Sweilem received acting and diction training at the Emin Olcay and Hayat Olcay Atelier Art Theater and later appeared in TRT Documentary productions, short films, the TV series Vefa Sultan, commercials and several theater plays.
More than 50 relatives killed
Sweilem said that the war in Gaza after Oct. 7 left deep wounds on his family.
“As a Palestinian, I thought about how I could explain to the world what my family there is being subjected to,” he said. “My uncle’s son was killed, and my brother was left paralyzed.”
He said that more than 50 of his relatives in Gaza have been killed since Oct. 7.
“This pain is not easy to describe, but remaining silent is even heavier,” he said.
He stressed that, as a Palestinian artist, he does not believe material support alone is sufficient.
Following his belief that theater is one of the most powerful ways to convey oppression, Sweilem said the idea for the play emerged through collective discussion.
“We sat down with friends and asked, ‘How can we tell this?’ and we decided on theater. That is how Gaza Among the Ashes came into being,” he said.
“The text was written by Emin Ozbey. I directed it and played the leading role. We brought it to the stage together.”
Telling Gaza’s story in Turkish
Sweilem said the play has been staged at various venues in Istanbul and has received strong public interest.
“Our concern is to tell the pain and oppression experienced in Palestine. With the understanding that ‘if you see injustice, correct it with your hand; if you cannot, with your tongue; and if that is not possible, with your heart,’ we speak through our art,” he said.
He stressed the importance of staging the play in Turkish.
“Perhaps for the first time in Türkiye, a Palestinian steps onto the stage and tells what his people are experiencing in Turkish,” he said.
“The Turkish people are already very sensitive about Palestine, but seeing on stage how a family lives in a tent, watching a life without electricity, food, or a home firsthand, deeply shakes the audience.”
More than theater, ‘a matter of humanity’
Sweilem said his future plans center on continuing to amplify Palestinian voices through theater and film.
“When I first came here, people told me Istanbul was too big and I would get lost,” he said. “But I wanted to be a source of hope for hopeless people in Palestine. I came to Türkiye to make my voice heard.”
He said that he found success after learning the language, building connections and drawing on help from his friends.
“My main goal is to be a voice and a source of hope for innocent people in Palestine, especially those who still have goals. We have more theater plays about Palestine,” he said.
Sweilem also said he has film projects in Arabic and English focusing on events in Gaza, noting that limitations sometimes delay their realization.
“We have written a lot about what has happened in Gaza, but sometimes when the means are not available, we have to wait,” he said.
He said he is also working on joint film projects with Palestinian and Turkish directors.
“When the time comes, the audience will see everything on stage and on screen,” he said.
He called for more support for upcoming projects.
Noting that the actors in Gaza Among the Ashes are Turkish, Sweilem ended with a call for solidarity.
“This is not just a theater play; this is a matter of humanity. We cannot remain silent, because silence is complicity. You are either against oppression or you serve it,” he said.
“We chose not to remain silent. I brought this play to life with my own budget and my own means. We need support to create bigger and stronger works.”